What’s up, everyone? As you recently saw, MMAjunkie.com recently introduced you to Brad Tavares, who will now be writing a Team Liddell blog for “The Ultimate Fighter 11.” I’ll be handling the Team Ortiz blog and blogging about the behind-the-scenes stuff after each episode.

Some of it will be about my thoughts on what you see, and some of it may be stuff they didn’t show.

My journey to “TUF” started with me fighting in a lot of regional shows while trying to build up both my name and record. I have a true love affair with the fight game, and I appreciate it as a fan and a competitor. Through this blog, I will try to share with you a perspective from both fighter and fan.

Episode No. 2 of “TUF 11” starts out with us walking (or running) into the new “house.” Up until this point, we had been sequestered like jurors on a murder trial. As you saw last week, my fight to get in the house was a total war. If that was how tough it was to get in the house I could only imagine how tough things were going to be moving forward.

It was surreal for me being in Las Vegas and finally with the UFC, I was living a dream while being wide awake. I’ve watched so many seasons as guys walked into that house, their faces and reactions, but nothing compared to actually being there. I’ve never been in a house that’s so nice (except my manager’s Jason Genet).

The house is exactly what it looks like: a mansion in Las Vegas. I believe there were seven bedrooms total. All were upstairs in the house. I was a little slow to get out of the van because my fight had ended not even an hour before, and I was dehydrated and tired. I ended up sharing a room with basically Chuck Liddell’s entire team. I was the only Team Punishment (Ortiz) member in the room.

But I could have been placed on the patio and would have been smiling. I was wounded, sitting in the den of my opponents, and trying to pretend like I was fine. I was going through a series of emotions from ecstatic over the fact I was there and freaked out about how injured I might really be.

The house included a decent-sized backyard with a hot tub and pool – things that are not the norm for me back in Colorado. We had shuffleboard, a pool table, poker table and chess set. All of them became very popular as time went bye since we had no TV or access to the outside world. After we all chose our beds and rooms (or had them chosen for us), we started getting settled in. I got to know everyone briefly and started in on the food. Believe me; when I’m at my own house, we don’t have much food. The UFC was very generous and supplied us with everything you could ask for.

I think everyone’s first thought was the same as mine: “Let’s eat!” The kitchen was massive, and we all made dinner and talked a little. Right away we started a rule and came to common ground on at least one thing: Don’t mess with anyone’s food! PERIOD. I know everyone thought it was funny on past seasons, but that’s just wrong. Doing foul things to people’s food is just crossing the line every which way you look at it.

The first night is really about sizing up the competition and trying to see what everyone was made of. At that point in the show, there are no teams, and no one knows what the coaches are going to do when it comes down to team selection. I am sure everyone was doing the same thing as me and playing matchmaker. As a fighter, you can visually fight your opponent hundreds of times before you ever actually get to touch gloves. It is a very mental game, and being a wounded prey in a den of wolves was a very unsettling feeling. I have never been to medical school or even played a doctor on TV, but I was self diagnosing myself with any diagnosis that would not arise much suspicion.

When we arrived at the gym to pick teams, I couldn’t tell if I was nervous or excited. It’s just a crazy feeling that I can’t describe – you’re on edge, it’s nerve racking, and you’re trying to build your confidence all into one controlled emotion. I was living my dream – but blindly. They keep everything a secret until the last minute, so you just have to be ready for anything and everything.

I was really hoping to get picked on Tito Ortiz’s team. Don’t get me wrong; I like Chuck Liddell, as well, but during “TUF 3,” Ortiz amazed me with his coaching techniques. You could really see that he was passionate about coaching. I think anyone could tell you the first time we met him that he gave off that vibe. He was very outgoing and tried to get to know all of the guys immediately. As you saw, Ortiz did end up picking me, and I was happy to be part of Team Ortiz. I was thinking the same thing Dana was: our team was stacked!

Even though I was happy to be on Team Ortiz, I was pretty bummed to get picked last on our team. I got to watch my fight with the rest of you viewers last week, and I was not impressed at all. I am my own worst critic and very tough on myself, as you should be. I saw tons of holes in my game and felt pretty sloppy. I do, however, feel that I showed the heart of a fighter, and I proved to the coaches that I can last a full fight. I thought that alone would put me in good standings with the coaches.

We have all seen several seasons in which guys cant last even two rounds. I was a little bummed, but I just told myself “prove them wrong, show them different,” and that’s the attitude I have always tried to live by. I dont want to whine about the past when I can change the future. I don’t want to mess up the time here since I can never get back. One thing I have always said is, “I will never be that guy,” the guy who quits when special opportunities are given to him. I can heal my body later, and I’m willing to sacrifice anything to get this contract. Coming here was step one, and no matter where I was picked in the beginning, it really only matters where I am standing in the end.

Liddell had the first fight pick, and we all expected him to match up one of his top guys against me. My “tooth” getting infected really set me back a little, but there was no time to back step. We all pretty much assumed they would be picking me because I was the most banged up. I was actually hoping they would pick me. My plan was to go in there “blazin'” and win and be able to heal up and rest through the rest of the first round of the tournament. But Clayton McKinney ended up getting picked to fight their team’s stud, Kyle Noke. I became more confident in McKinney every practice, and I was really hoping he would pull out the win. I think fighting first is a huge disadvantage because it comes right after the elimination round, and you have not really had a chance to benefit from your team or the coaches.

I really liked that Tito pulled us all aside and showed Clayton how to fix the one mistake he made. I would expect the same for myself every time. It may not seem ideal when you’re in Clayton’s shoes right after a loss, but it sticks in your head while it’s fresh. Tito cares about his team. He wants us to win and get better while winning. His passion for helping others really shines through in his coaching style.

The first week in the house was great, and I can’t wait until the next episode. Tito and Chuck are not the only ones repping their teams from back home. Keep your eyes peeled for my MTX Audio logo above my bed.

Finally, thank you to MMAjunkie.com for having me blog this season, and please check out my Web site at www.camozzimma.com, or follow me on Twitter.

Chris Camozzi (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is MMAjunkie.com’s Team Ortiz blogger for “The Ultimate Fighter 11.” Check out new blog entries from him and Team Liddell’s Brad Tavares each Thursday here on MMAjunkie.com, and be sure to tune in to MMAjunkie.com Radio each Thursday for an episode recap with Team Liddell guest correspondent Josh Bryant. For more on Chris, check out www.camozzimma.com or Twitter.com/ChrisCamozzi.

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